If your question is not addressed here, our Education Specialists would be happy to help you. Contact an Education Specialist, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. by phone (800) 523-5077, email [email protected], or online chat.
- All
- Course Options
- Education (CE) Lookup
- Designations and Certifications
- Ethics requirements
- Financial aid
- How to Get a Real Estate License (Pre-License Process)
- Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
- Licensing Exam
- License renewal
- Reciprocity
- Webinars
Use the Illinois REALTORS® Education Lookup to look up your record of classes taken through Illinois REALTORS® sponsored classes. If you have any questions regarding the information, you may call education at 217-529-2600. If you need information regarding classes taken at other sponsored schools, you will need to visit Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation, Bureau of Real Estate or call 800-560-6420.
Illinois REALTORS® offers a wide variety of designation and certification courses online and in our classroom branch locations, including our online Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation program. The National Association of REALTORS® and its affiliated institutes, societies, and councils provide a range of designation and certification courses that assist members in increasing skills, proficiency, and knowledge.
All REALTOR® members must successfully complete a 2.5 hour course in ethics, an element of NAR’s Code of Ethics, within given three-year cycles and continue to update their education in successive three-year periods thereafter. The current cycle ends December 31, 2024. You can meet the Code of Ethics Requirement with our online course 3-hour ETH 1535: Ethics in Real Estate or ETH 1504: The Code of Ethics in Action: Real-Life Applications
Yes. The Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation awards scholarships to students of real estate and related fields of study. The foundation is supported through the voluntary contributions of those who recognize the importance of furthering academic experience and training in the real estate industry in Illinois. Illinois REALTORS® live pre-license classroom courses are also eligible under the GI Bill® for qualifying veterans.
Illinois REALTORS® provides cost-effective paths to get an Illinois real estate broker license. Your individual costs will depend upon which courses you choose whether you select add-on products such as exam preparation tools, and how many exam fees you must pay.
Example:
Online Pre-License Package with ebook – $519
State Examination Fee – $58
Initial License Application Fee – $125
Be prepared for additional start-up costs and the ongoing expenses of doing business such as membership fees, ad costs, license renewal fees, and other operating expenses.
You can apply for a real estate license after completing your pre-license education and passing the state and national licensing exam. Education options range from 2-week accelerated classes to 6 months online, self-guided learning.
Pre-License courses expire 180 days from the date of purchase.
If you do not pass the state exam after completing your courses, you may retake the exam three times. If you do not pass the exam on the fourth attempt, you must retake the pre-license coursework before registering again for the exam.
License renewal is required for Illinois real estate licensees every two years. Education requirements for renewal are based upon the date an individual was originally licensed in Illinois. Broker license renewal and Residential Leasing Agent license renewal occur in even-numbered years. Managing Broker license renewal occurs in odd-numbered years.
For licensing questions, you may contact the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 800-560-6420. For their latest reciprocity updates, visit IDFPR’s License Reciprocity website. If you are currently licensed in one of the reciprocal states, you may obtain a reciprocal license by taking and passing the state portion of the Illinois exam. Study material is available from the Illinois REALTORS® Course Catalog. This exam is administered by PSI.
Illinois currently has reciprocity with several states. If you hold a real estate license in an Illinois reciprocal state, no classroom or coursework is required. The only requirement will be for you to take the state specific portion of the licensing exam (40 questions). A general overview of the state-specific 40 questions may be found in the Candidate Handbook on the PSI website.
Email [email protected] for more information on reciprocity.
These are the steps to apply for licensure in Illinois on the basis of reciprocity:
- You must be actively licensed by examination in the state from which you are applying.
- Illinois must have a written reciprocal agreement with the state in which you are currently licensed by examination.
- You must take and pass the Illinois portion of the licensure examination.
- Your sponsor must have an active broker or managing broker license in Illinois. A managing broker can self-sponsor.*
- For Managing Broker Applicants only: your broker license must have been in an active status during the immediately preceding two years.*
*Indiana and Illinois only share BROKER reciprocity, not Managing Broker.
Illinois REALTORS® suggests using the Illinois REcampus QBank v2.0 or examsmart.com to prepare for this exam. Some students also benefit from purchasing the Modern Real Estate Practice in Illinois textbook or e-book.
To register as a candidate for the real estate exam, you will need to contact PSI/AMP (Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc) directly to schedule. There are also exam prep products on AMP’s site, you can find them by following this link.
Once you have taken and passed the exam and are ready to fill out the Illinois Reciprocity Application. You will also need to request your Certified Licensure History from the state(s) in which you hold a real estate license. Refer to the regulatory agency for your state. We advise you contact the licensing agency in your state immediately to obtain this documentation.
Email [email protected] for more information on reciprocity.
You must use a desktop computer or laptop. Our webinars will not perform properly on Notebooks, iPads and smartphones. To ensure a better experience with the D2L network, we recommend the following, regardless of which operating system you are using:
- Memory (RAM): 2GB or more
- Wireless Card: 802.11b/g/n or 802.11ac
- Ethernet Card: 10/100 capable
Our wireless network uses a network access management software called SafeConnect. This helps to ensure our student computers are meeting some recommended standards to prevent virus outbreaks. SafeConnect supports the following Operating Systems:
- Windows Vista (supported but not recommended)
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Mac OS X 10.8
- Mac OS X 10.9
- Mac OS X 10.10
Any beta versions of operating systems are not supported (example: Windows Technical Preview or Mac OS X Public Beta). As operating systems are updated, SafeConnect is updated to support them. Occasionally, there will be a delay between operating system updates and SafeConnect Support. Although devices running iOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Windows RT are recognized on the network and will work, the D2L Online’s lockdown browser will not work on the operating system.
Enrolling in only the webinar allow students to choose dates during the purchase process. The 75-hour D2L package includes a webinar enrollment. Students choose their dates when they complete the coursework for Unit 19. Registration for a webinar will close as early as 4 pm on the preceding BUSINESS day. Once registration is closed we do NOT have the ability to add registrants. You will receive reminders the week before the webinar.
Contact an Education Specialist at [email protected] with your request to cancel or move to another date.
It is highly recommended that you are 100% complete with the Broker Pre-License Topics course prior to taking the Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles course. The completion of the Broker Pre-License Topics course exam is NOT required before you register for the Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles course.
You will interact with your instructor by using the chat messaging feature found in the upper right hand corner of your screen. You are able to privately message the instructor as well.
Detailed information is sent via email the week prior to the chosen webinar. Students must be logged into D2L and access the virtual Zoom classroom from inside the 15-hour Interactive Course.
Yes, attendance will be taken several times throughout the webinar to ensure students are logged in. You are required to attend the entire webinar.
Yes, your course materials are inside the D2L course. Some materials may be in a .pdf format and/or videos that will have direct links to YouTube. The course materials will “unlock” five days prior to the webinar. All course materials are downloadable.
The way you will communicate is through the “chat” feature of the D2L program. You will need speakers to hear the webinar. Most computers have these internally in the computer. You do not need a camera or microphone for the actual webinar but you will need them to take the final exam for the course. You will be able to see the instructor but he/she will not be able to see you. Notebooks, iPads and smart phones CANNOT be used for this webinar.
Promptly at 9:00am. Please log-in by 8:45 am for a sound check and for any troubleshooting you may need. Attendance will be taken at the start and throughout the webinar when the instructor returns for a break. 15-hour webinars conclude between 4-4:30 pm.
Yes, courses are approved on 50-minute hours, so if the instructor does not take a one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks, the course could end much earlier than the time that is posted. The instructor will announce what time you will break for lunch and it may be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
No, Interactive courses do not require a final exam. Participants take quizzes throughout the live sessions showing proficiency in the material before it can be completed.
Contact an Education Specialist at [email protected] or 217-529-2600. For EIU tech support call 217-581-4357.
You can contact IDFPR by phone at 800-560-6420 or by email at [email protected]. When contacting IDFPR by email, include your name and license number in the subject line.
By law, the Department can and does send ALL notices by email. If an email sent by the Department is diverted to your junk folder or spam folder, you risk having disciplinary action taken against you and your license by default. Update your email address on file with IDFPR online.
Whitelist IDFPR Emails in an Email Client or Security Program: please see these instructions for how to add an email address to a safe sender list or whitelist for some of the most common email clients (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo).
Managing Brokers and Brokers who have a new or pending transaction with IDFPR on the IDFPR Online Services Portal should visit their accounts at least twice a week to check for updates. There may be deliverability issues with email notification that would prevent you from completing necessary transactions or receiving verification that transactions are complete.
- Step 1) Log into your IDFPR Web Portal at https://ilesonline.idfpr.illinois.gov/DFPR/Default.aspx
- Step 2) Click on the Online Services Link
- Step 3) Click Licensure Options
- Step 4) Begin (or Continue) your transaction
Helpful hint – “In Progress” transactions fail regularly, beginning from the “Start” link is recommended
You can use the IDFPR online portal to:
- Manage licensees
- Review, approve, or deny supervision requests from licensees that have added your brokerage firm as sponsor
- Terminate currently sponsored licensees
- Adding a new licensee (they must be an inoperative/inactive status)
- Modify your current licensure (to update your own personal license)
- Transfer sponsorship (active licensees only)
- Terminate from current sponsor
- Review pending requests from a brokerage firm (to review, approve, or deny requests from prospective sponsoring brokerage firms – your status must be inoperative to receive requests)
The system displays all pending transfer requests and their associated status. Each broker with an approval decision will have text in the status column. If the status column is blank, no action is being taken at that time. If you have questions about completing online transactions with IDFPR contact [email protected]
It is very important to take immediate action on a deficiency notice. Do not ignore the email. If you are not in compliance within 60 days, your case will be sent to prosecution and you will be subject to disciplinary action and substantial fines. You must take one of these steps:
- Provide evidence of compliance by submitting copies of the certificates of course completion for the each of the courses identified in the notice to the Department.
- Immediately complete the courses identified in the notice to satisfy the deficiency and submit the certificates of completion along with a late fee of $25 per credit hour. Your submission will not be reviewed or considered until payment is received by check or money order.
Completing your continuing education requirements in a timely fashion during each renewal cycle will help your license remain in good standing. Be sure to update your email address regularly with IDFPR to ensure you receive all notifications. Contact an Illinois REALTORS® Education Specialist if you have questions.
Students must complete the full 75 hours of pre-license education, and have transcripts for both classes, before registering for the State & National licensing exam.
Once deemed eligible by the test administrator, PSI, students then register as CANDIDATES for the exam through PSI’s exam portal. More information is available in the PSI Candidate Handbook.
We recommend the ExamSmart and Leap Online Exam Prep programs. ExamSmart does have a free try before you buy option. Leap offers a National-only portion here or a State-only portion here. They both offer a randomized variety of questions, much like those on the State & National licensing exam.
PSI offers a self-assessment and a sample exam available in the PSI Store. Here is the link to the PSI handbook which answers a lot of the questions regarding the exam layout.
No. You will interact with your instructor by using the chat messaging feature found in the upper right hand corner of your screen. You are able to privately message the instructor as well.
If you do not pass the licensing exam after completing your courses, you may retake the exam up to three times (on different days). If you do not pass the exam on the fourth attempt, you must retake the pre-license coursework before registering again for the exam.
Email [email protected] for more information on retaking the education.
